Draft and buffing gear



April 1940- R. J. OLANDER 2,196,32 I DRAFT AND BUFFING GEAR Filed May 13, 1935 Patented Apr. 9, 1940 UNITED STATES DRAFT nun BUFFING GEAR Roland J. Olander, Chicago, 111., assignor to W. H. Miner,Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application May 13, 1935, Serial No. 21,130

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in draft and bufiing gears especially adapted for use in connection with mine cars.

One object of the invention is to provide a 5 combined draft and buffing gear of high capacity, designed especially for use in connect-ion with mine cars and arranged to be mounted as a unit on the end of the car.

Another object of the invention isto provide a mine car draft and buffing gear including shock absorbing springs, wherein the springs are arranged parallel or transversely to the end of the car, thereby making it possible to utilize springs of relatively largesize of high capacity.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a mechanism of the character specified in the preceding paragraph, frictional resistance.

. means in connection with the cushioning springs,

thereby obtaining exceptionally high shock absorbing capacity. I A more specific object of they invention is to provide a combined spring and friction shock ab:

sorbing mechanism for mine car gears, wherein the friction is produced by cooperating spring resisted friction wedge blocks, actuated in both buff and draft, so arranged that the springs extend transversely of the car, thereby making it possible to employ relatively large springs of high capacity. Other objects of the inventionwill more clearly appear from the descriptionand claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure l'is a broken endlview of a car illustrating my improved draft and lending gear in connection therewith, the gear being shown in part elevation and part vertical section, the section corresponding substantially to the line l- I of Figure 2. Figure 2 is a part top plan 40 and part horizontal sectional view, the section thereof corresponding substantially to the line 2-2 of Figure 3. Figures 3 and 4 are Vertical sectional views, corresponding respectively to the lines 3- -3 and 44 of Figure 2. v

- In said drawing, my improved mechanism is shown as'combined with the end sill casting ll] of a mine car. Although the device is disclosed as combined with the end sill, it will be under stood that the same may be made in the manner of a separate unit attached to the end sill or other end structure of the car.

My improved mechanism comprises broadly a supporting member A, which in this case is a part of the end sill II); a buffing cap B; a wedge inafter more fully pointed out. section. l3 comprises spaced side walls l5-,li

block C; a pair of wedge shoes D-D; spring members E-E; and a draft or coupling pin F.

The Supporting member A comprises the vertical back wall formed by the web of the end sill structure In of the car, a horizontally extending 5 bottom wall section II, vertical side wall sections l2-I 2, and a depending supporting fulcrum section I3, all formed integral with the end sill structure. The side wall sections l2-l2 have inturned, vertically disposed, flanges i l-I4, which cooperate with the buffing head or cap B to limit outward movement of the latter, as here- The fulcrum and'a curved bottom wall It providing the ful- 15 crum seat. As will be evident upon reference to Figures-1 and 2, the bottom wall ll of the supporting member A is open at said fulcrum sectionl3. 1

The bufiing head or cap B is in the form of '20 a hollow casting having spaced horizontal top and bottom walls l1--ll, spaced vertical side walls I8-l8, anda transverse vertical front wall l9. 'Iheouter face of the front wall l9 presents a buffing surface adapted to coopera tewith a 5 similar bufiing member of an adjacent car. At opposite sides, at the rear end thereof, the bufli-ng head B is provided with laterally extending retaining flanges 20-20 which are engaged in back of the flanges M- M of the supporting member A to anchor the bufiing head to the support and limit outward movement of said head. As shown most clearly in Figures 2, 3, and 4, the inner end of the buffing head is normally spaced from the vertical back wall of the housing to provide for the necessary inward movement of the head during a buffing action. In assemblingthe buffing head B with the supporting member A, the same is engaged between the walls l2l2 and in back of the flanges i l-I4 of said walls by 40 sliding the head downwardly between said walls. The bottom wall I! of the buffing head B is centrally cutaway, as indicated at 2i, to accommodate the bottom portion of the wedge block 0 and the lower end of the coupling pin F. The top wall- I! of the buffing cap B is provided with an opening 22 through which the coupling pin F extends, said opening being of sufficient length to permit the necessary movement of the pin F during draft action of thegear. 0 The'wedge block 0 which, in effect, forms the draft member of the gear, is in the form of a rocker having a downward extension 23, which is rounded and bears on the fulcrum section. of

the supporting member A. The block 0 has a.

fiat vertical rear face 24, which normally bears on the rear wall of the support A. The block C is forwardly tapered, as most clearly shown in Figure 2, and has a pair of vertical wedge faces 25-25 at opposite sides of the front end thereof. The wedge faces 25-25 are preferably slightly rounded so as to properly engage with the wedge faces of the shoes D-D when the wedge block C is swung outwardly during draft action of the gear. The block 0 is further provided with a vertical opening 26 therethrough, adapted to receive the shank of the coupling pin F. Adjacent to the upper end of said opening 23, the block C is provided with a seat 2'! adapted to cooperate with shouldered means on the pin F to prevent downward movement of said pin in the block C.

The Wedge shoes D-D, which are arranged at opposite sides of the wedge block C, have Wedge faces 28-28 on the inner sides thereof which cooperate with the wedge faces 2525 of the block C. As shown in Figure l and 2 of the drawing, the wedge faces are slightly rounded. At the forward each is provided with a substantially transverse friction surface 29, which bears on the inner surface of the front wall it of the buffing head B. Rearwardly of the friction surface 29, each shoe is cut away at the outer as indicated at tel, to provide a spring seat for the corresponding end of one of the spring members The spring members E-E' are disposed within the bufiing cap or head B and are arranged trans versely thereof, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2. Each spring member E preferably comprises inner and outer coils having their opposite ends bearing respectively on the spring seat 3?) of one of the shoes D and the inner side of the corresponding side wall [8 of the cap or head B.

The coupling pin F has a substantially cylindrical shank portion which is engaged through the opening 26 of the wedge block C. At the upper end, the pin F is provided with a rearwardly projecting head portion iii which cooperates with the coupling link 32 to prevent accidental removal of said link. Below that portion of the pin P which extends through the coupling link 32, a. forwardly extending lug 33 is provided on said pin which engages in the seat 2? of the block C, thereby preventing downward displacement of said pin. In order to prevent the coupling pin F from being lifted out of the opening of the wedge block C, a locking member in the form of a pin or rod extending through the lower end of the shank of the pin F may be employed.

In the operation of my improved combined draft and bufiing gear, when a buffing force is applied to the head E, the latter moved inwardly, thereby carrying the shoes I)-D inwardly therewith. Inasmuch as the wed e C is held against rearward movement by engagement with the back wall of the support A, the shoes will be forced apart, due to the wedging action, and the springs E--E are compressed against the side walls i8l8 of the cap or head B. This action continues until inward movement of the buffing head is arrested by engagement with the back wall of the support A. Inasmuch as the wedge face of the block C and the shoes D and the friction surfaces of the shoes D and the friction surfaces of the bufiing head 13 have sliding ration of the shoes; an

movement on each other during the inward movement of the bufiing head and spreading of the shoes D-D, the resistance of the springs is augmented by the frictional resistance between these members.

During a draft action, the pulling force applied to the coupling link 32 will be transmitted to the wedge C through the connecting coupling pin F, thereby swinging the wedge C forwardly and spreading the shoes D-D apart, thereby compressing the springs E-E. As will be evident, frictional resistance is thus produced between the wedge block C, the shoes 13-1), and the friction surface of the bufiing head B.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but thesame is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come Within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

I. In a combined draft and buffing gear for cars, the combination With an inwardly movable transversely elongated buffing cap at the end of the car and projecting outwardly beyond said end; of laterally acting spreading means, comprising an outwardly movable wedge block held against inward movement and a pair of wedge shoes cooperating with said wedge block, said shoes being movable inwardly with the buffing cap; a coupling pin engaged through said wedge block for connecting said block to acoupling link; means for limiting outward movement of the buffing head cap; and means within the bufiing cap yieldingly resisting the spreading action of said spreading means.

In a combined draft and buffing gear for cars, the combination with an inwardly movable transversely elongated buffing cap at the end of the car and projecting outwardly beyond said end; of laterally acting spreading means including an outwardly movable wedge block and cooperating wedge shoes movable inwardly with the bufling cap; means for limiting inward movement of the wedge block; a coupling link; a coupling pin extending through said link and extending into and directly connected to said wedge block; means for limiting outward movement of the wedge shoes; and transversely disposed springs within the buffing cap yieldingly opposing spreading action of said spreading means.

3. In a combined draft and buffing gear for cars, the combination with an inwardly movable buffing head at the end of the car, said head having a transverse front wall and spaced side walls, said front wall presenting a flat friction surface; of a pair of wedge shoes movable inwardly with said head said shoes being laterally slidable on the friction surface of said front wall; transversely arranged, elongated, helical spring members within the buffing head, each spring member being interposed between and hearing at opposite ends on said shoes and said side walls respectively and yieldingiy opposing lateral sepaoutwardly swingable pivoted wedge member engaged between said shoes for forcing the shoes apart upon relative movement of the buffing head and wedge member; and means for swinging said wedge member outwardly away from the end of the car in draft.

ROLAND J. OLANDER. 

